Wagon-brake.



Patented Aug. l4, I900.

' H. E. ROLPH. WAGON BRAKE.

(Application filed May 29, 1900.)

(No Model.)

] NVE/V TOR 6E9 wM a his afiornay- WITNESSES.-

" NITED STATES HENBYEROLPH, on ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

WAGON -BRAKE.

QPEG IFIGATTON forining part of Letters Patent No. 656,047, dated August14, 1900 Application filed May 29, 1900.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY E. ROLPH, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wagon-Brakes; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object is to present a simple and efii cient form of wagon-brake inwhich the same will be automatically brought into operation by pressureapplied from the neck-yoke of the tongue, such pressure beingproportionate to the back resistance of a team in descending gradesthatis to say, where the grade is slight the pressure will be slight andwhere the grade is steep the pressure will be proportionately greater.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts of a wagonbrake, as will be hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, I haveillustrated a form of embodiment of my invention, it being understoodthat other forms of embodiment thereof may be employed without departingfrom the spirit of the same, and in these drawings- Figure 1 is a Viewin inverted plan showing my improved brake applied to an ordinaryfarm-wagon. Fig. 2 is a detached view in elevation of thebrake-operating rods detached from the brake mechanism, showing themanner in which the parts are arranged. Fig. 3 is a view in endelevation of a part of a wagon, showing the rear axle and one wheel withthe mechanism in place on the axle; and Fig. 4 is a detail view inelevation of a friction-plate employed to operate the brakes proper.

Before proceeding with the description of the present invention it is tobe understood that the brake mechanism may be applied either to thefront or rear wheels of a wagon; but in this instanceit is shown asapplied to the rear wheels alone, although it is to be understood thatthe mechanism may be duplicated Serial No. 18,422. (No model.)

to be applied to the front wheels withoutdeparting from my invention;

Referring to the drawings, A designates the reach, the same connectingthe front axle B and the rear axle O, as usual, the reach being adaptedto be lengthened or shortened, as will be well understood, and D thetongue, carryingthe ordinary neck-yoke, (not shown,) as usual. Upon thetongue is pivoted a lever E, the upper end of which extends above thetongue and is adapted to be engaged by the neck-yoke, the lower end ofthe lever ex tending below the tongue, as shown in Fig. 2. Connectingwith the lower end of the lever is a three-part brake-operating rod F,two sections whereof, fand f, are preferablyconnected by a link-joint,as shown at f and the third member f having a link connection with themember f the two members f and,

f passing through a nut or collar f carrying a screw or bolt f, by whichthese two latter members may be held at any desired adjustment. Theobject of having the members f and f adjustable lengthwise is tocompensate for any change that may be made in the length of the reach,as it will be well understood that where such device is employed inconnection with lumber-wagons the length of the reach is changed to meetthe requirements in the different lengths of lumber carried.

Supported from the rear axle C by hangers or supports 0 is a doublecrank shaft or rod 0 one crank c of which iscengaged by the member f" ofthe brake-operating rod F and the other crank c by a friction-plate G,the crank extending through a slot 9 in this plate provided for thepurpose, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The free end of the plate G ispivotally connected with one end of a rod or plate H, the other end ofwhich is pivotally connected with one of the hounds I at the rearportion of the wagon, as shown at e. The wagon is provided with theusual brakebeam J, carrying brake-shoesj, and the plate H is connectedwith the brake-beam J through the medium of a link or bar K, as clearlyshown in Fig. 1.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the wagon is goingdownhill, the neckyoke will engage with the lever E, thereby moving thelatter in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2 and through thebrakeoperating rod F rocking the crank-shaft G which will thus bring thefriction-plate G into engagement with the hub of the wheel adjacentthereto. The frictional contact between the hub and the plate will causethe lever G to be moved backward, thereby through the medium of thelever H and the connectionK exerting a backward movement upon thebrake-beam J, thus causing the brake-shoes to engage the wheels, andthus brake the wagon. Where the decline is moderate, the application ofthe brakes to the Wheels will be slight; but where the decline is sharpthe application of the brakes to the wheels will be proportionatelygreater, thereby effecting an automatic braking of the wheelscorresponding to the backward resistance olfered by the horse in. itsattempt to check rapid descent of the wagon.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is-

1. In a wagon-brake, the combination of a lever adapted to be operatedby the neck-yoke, a double crank-rod, a connection between the lever andthe crank-rod, a f riction-plate opera= tively connected with the rod,and alever connecting the plate and the brake-beam, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a wagon-brake, the combination of a lever adapted to be operatedby the neck-yoke, a double crank-rod, anadjustable connection betweenthe lever and the crank-rod, a friction-plate operatively connected withthe rod, and a lever connecting the plate and the brake-beam,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HENRY E. ROLPH.

Witnesses:

J. J. LOMEN, CHARLES A. Rosn.

